NASA is set to launch a package of research satellites from the Central Coast on Tuesday. Some of these satellites may help us learn more about how space weather patterns affect Earth.
The mission's headliner is the TRACERS spacecraft. The twin satellites will provide data on solar wind, which is ionized particles escaping the sun and pouring into space. The information may help us better understand how the particles impact us.
Three additional satellites are on board. One is an experiment to see how to more economically put small research payloads into orbit.
Another is a test of new technology which would allow missions to tap into a variety of satellites already in orbit, like the roaming system on your cell phone when you travel.
And, the last one is a small satellite being launched to help researchers better understand the radiation surrounding Earth that can impact spacecraft.
The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the satellites is set for liftoff from Vandenberg Space Force Base at 11:13 a.m. Tuesday.
